Metro Fleet News 2008

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19/12/08 - Tiger 1476 is now in Metro livery.

05/12/08 - Ultras 2707 (Short Strand) and 2733 (Falls) are now in Reserve, along with former Ulsterbus Darts 648/50. Renown 2766 has moved from Falls to GVS, with B7's 2908 going from Short Strand to GVS and 2986 GVS to Short Strand. Gardner engined Tiger 2609 has been sold to the Kells Bus Museum.

04/11/08 - Ultras 2709/10 (Short Strand) and 2716 (Falls) are now in Reserve.

09/10/08 - Solo 1832 has been repainted from Flexibus livery to magenta fleet livery.

07/10/08 - Solo 1825, and more surprisingly Tiger 1474 have both been repainted in the current house style livery.

02/10/08 - Former Flexibus Mercedes 909/19/20/1/2 have been taken out of service and transferred to the Ulsterbus Reserve fleet. Also gone back to Ulsterbus is on loan Tiger 1164 (to Coleraine). Dart 651, Tigers 1474/5 and Solo 1855 have all moved to Short Strand. Gardner engined Tiger 2613 has been sold to Hamill for scrap.

03/09/08 - Volvo B9TLs 2350-4 (SEZ 2350-4) entered service on the 1st September at Newtownabbey (2350-2) and GVS (2353/4). The remainder of the seatbelted batch also returned to service on the same day, 2209-13 at Falls, 2214/5 at GVS adnd 2216-20 at Newtownabbey. Few tears will be shed at the detaxing to reserve of Ultras 2701-5/23/30; also leaving the fleet are Renowns 2770/84 which have gone to Ulsterbus Craigavon and Newtownabbey respectively. The remains of the Flexibus fleet have also been allocated to Short Strand, consisting of Dart SLF's 641/5-50, Mercedes 711's 909/19/20/2 and Solos 1829-34. Volvos 1524/5. Ultras 2706/15/9-21/5/37, Renowns 2787/8 and Mercedes O.405's 3100/1/2 returned to use on 1st September after having been laid up for the school holidays. Buses on the move are Solo 1825 (Short Strans - GVS), B9TL 2208 (Short Strand - Falls), Renowns 2818/9 (Falls - GVS), Scanias 743/4 (Short Strand/Falls - Newtownabbey), B7TLs 2921/2 (Short Strand - Newtownabbey) and 2967 (Falls - Newtownabbey). Further repaints to Metro house colours noted are 2715/9/20/21/87. Temporary route 15 (Belleview - Hightown Road) has been wiithdrawn on the opening of the Hightown Road bridge.

31/08/08 - Service enhancements tomorrow see increased frequencies on Metro corridors 1 (Antrim Road) and 2 (Shore Road). Service 1H becomes Ballyclare Road (Northcott Centre) - City Centre via Carlisle Circus and runs every 15minutes off peak Monday - Friday. The previous 1H service to Royal Mail becomes 1J. On the Shore Road 3 new routes are introduced: 2C Monkstown - City Centre via Doagh Road, running every half hour off peak, 2G (Monkstown - City Centre via Jordanstown and Whiteabbey) running every 30 minutes off-peak and 2H (Rathcoole - Belfast) again running every half hour off-peak. The 2G entends the Metro service to the Jordanstown area, running through Whiteabbey village and Circular Road. Route 2E (Monkstown - Rathcoole - City Centre) becomes a mornings and evenings only route. The final 5 Volvo B9's (2350-4) should enter service to assist with these changes. Another enhancement which took place recently was the extension of route 96 to serve the new Stena Line terminal - this service also runs throughout the day giving an hourly service along Duncrue Street, together with 3 return journeys on Saturday and Sunday. On the livery front very few green single deckers now remain; recent repaints include Ultras 2712/4/26 and B10BLE's 2796/9/807.

06/08/08 - B9TLs 2201-8 returned to service at Short Strand at the end of July, also returned to service was Ultra 2724 at Falls, with B10BlE 2787 being detaxed from GVS for the remainder of the school holidays. Scania 785 has moved from Newtownabbey - GVS, with B7TL 2882 going in the opposite direction.

06/07/08 - The following are detaxed for the school holidays:

1524, 1525, 2704, 2705, 2706, 2788 – Short Strand

2101, 2722, 2733, 2817 – GVS

2715, 2719, 2720, 2721, 2724, 2725, 2739 – Falls

3100, 3101, 3102 – Newtownabbey

2781 and 2882 have moved from Newtownabbey to GVS with B10BLE 2784 going from Short Strand to Reserve.

11/06/08 - Volvo's 2201-20 entered service on 6tt May at Short Strand (2201-9), Falls (2210-3), GVS 2214-6 and Newtownabbey (2217-20). Surprisingly they were replaced on 1st June by non seat-belted exampes 2330-49 at Short Strand (2330-8), Falls (2339-42), GVS (2343-5) and Newtownabbey (2346-9). One loan Tigers 298/1027/1145 and B10BLE's 2835/6 have returned to Ulsterbus, along with native examples 1468/9/70 (Craigavon), 1471 (Lisburn), 1472 (Newcastle), 1473 (Enniskillen) 2667/78/9/80 (GVS) and 2768/9 (Craigavon). B10BLE 2765 was placed in Reserve on 6th May but returned to service on 2nd June at Falls, replacing 2785. One the move are: 2770/84 (Falls - Short Strand), 2782/3/8 (Newtownabbey - Short Strand), 2881 (Newtownabbey - Gt. Victoria St.), 2981/2/3 (Short Strand - Gt. Victoria St.).

08/05/08 - Volvo's 2201-20 are now in use.

21/04/08 - Two further vehicles loaned from Ulsterbus are Tigers 498 and 1027, both at Short Strand. Dart 642 was reinstated with Flexibus on 9th April, after more than 2 years out of use. Tiger 2624 is another to be sold to the Kells Bus Museum.

04/04/08 - Provisional allocations for the initial 20 Geminis are: 2201-9 Short Strand, 2210-3 Falls, 2214-6 GVS and 2217-20 Newtownabbey.

03/04/08 - Tiger 2623 has gone to Hamill for scrap. A number of the new Gemini's have arrived but are not currently in use.

14/03/08 - Registrations for the first batch of Gemini's for Metro (2201-20) are SEZ 2201-20, excepting 2211 which will be SEZ 3211.

05/03/08 - 2944 has lost it's Ulster Bank advert. Ulsterbus Tiger has been on loan at Short Strand, whilst the final 2 Gardner engined examples 2609/13 (LXI 6609, NXI 4613) are again in Reserve.

25/02/08 - Ultras 2711/7/24 are recent repaints to Metro colours.

04/02/08 - Volvo/ALX 400 2944 has gained an overall advert for Ulster Bank in the same style as applied briefly to 2973 last year.

23/01/08 - Volvo B7R/ Wrightbus Schoolrun 360 (PEZ 7360) is expected here to replace the oldest vehicle in the fleet, Tiger 361.

21/01/08 - Service alterations from 21st January, in connection with the rebuilding of the Hightown Road bridge over the M2, sees the introduction of routes 1F (Hightown Road - Glengormley - Belfast - peak hours only) and 15 (Hightown Road - Belleview - hourly(ish) throughout the day). This is the first regular service to use the Belleview turning circle for very many years.

01/01/08 - Seasons Greetings and a Merry New Year from the Irish Transport Trust !

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